I woke up warm, satisfied… and alone.

For a second, I just lay there in Vaelor's bed, breathing him in. The room smelled like him. Cedar. Smoke. Male.

My wolf.

A stupid smile pulled at my mouth before I could stop it. I already missed him, and I'd only been awake for a few seconds.

Stretching slowly, I stared up at the ceiling.

The Council still worried me.Vivienne worried me more.

Being human had already caused problems once. What if it kept happening?

I shoved the thought away immediately.

Not today.

For once in my life, I wanted to enjoy happiness before disaster showed up demanding attention.

My gaze dropped to the crimson lingerie set folded neatly beside the bed. The one Vaelor had bought for me.

God, I loved that man.

Sunlight poured through the window. Claire frowned and checked the clock.

"Oh my God."

It was already late afternoon.

She practically flew into the bathroom, turning on the shower. Now she understood why Vaelor hadn't been beside her when she woke up. The Alpha probably had half the territory handled by now.

Steam fogged the mirror.

Then she looked closer.

"Oh."

Her fingers brushed the scratches on her face. Bruises bloomed across her stomach in ugly yellow-purple stains. Her knees were scraped raw. Thin claw marks crossed one thigh.

"The bushes," she muttered, finally realizing where half the damage came from.

And suddenly Vaelor's restraint inside that cave made a lot more sense.

The thought softened her instantly.

He'd wanted her badly. She knew that now.

But he'd still stopped for her.

After the shower, she pulled on black shorts and a red tank top. Her stomach growled viciously while she shoved wet fingers through her hair.

"Okay, okay. I'm going."

Still starving, she hurried downstairs toward the kitchen—then stopped when voices drifted from Vaelor's office.

Her heart jumped immediately.

Vaelor.

She smiled before she even reached the door.

Then his voice rolled through the wood. Deep. Commanding. Warm enough to melt bone.

"Come in, Claire."

Her pulse skipped.

She opened the door grinning, already annoyed that he somehow knew it was her without looking.

Vaelor sat behind the desk watching her like she was the only thing in the room worth seeing.

Two other men occupied the couches across from him. Both dangerous in completely different ways. Both carrying the kind of quiet authority that filled a room instantly.

Claire smiled politely at them before crossing straight to Vaelor.

"So I'll never be able to surprise you again, huh?"

She grabbed his face and kissed him without hesitation.

"Good morning."

"Never, sweetheart."

Vaelor caught her by the hips and pulled her directly onto his lap.

A startled breath escaped her. Mostly because they weren't alone.

His mouth brushed her throat slowly.

"I always know where you are."

Then lower, against the healing bite mark on her neck—

"You're part of me now."

Claire nearly forgot the other men existed.

Almost.

She cleared her throat and glanced at them again. Both were trying very hard not to look entertained.

"I should probably let you finish your meeting."

"Claire."

Vaelor stood with her, still holding her hand, and guided her toward them.

"This is Ronan. And Alexander."

His arm wrapped around her waist immediately afterward. Proud. Possessive.

"My mate," he said simply. "Claire Dawson."

"Pleasure," Alexander said at once, though his eyes narrowed slightly at the bruises on her skin.

"Pleasure to meet you, Claire," Ronan added, frowning openly now. "About the attack…"

He looked back at Vaelor.

"We're getting involved. Whether you want us to or not."

"She got hurt," Alexander said quietly. "We're not ignoring that."

Ronan's jaw tightened.

"Mates are rare enough already. Wolves who attack another Alpha's mate don't get mercy from me."

"They'll pay for it."

"No." Claire stepped forward immediately. "It looks worse than it is."

Her eyes snapped to Vaelor.

"You're not putting yourself in danger again because of me. Right?"

Vaelor's expression softened instantly. His thumb brushed carefully beneath one of the scratches on her cheek.

"No, sweetheart."

He kissed her lightly.

"I'm warning them that the wolves who attacked us are still out there."

Then he nodded toward the two men.

"They run an organization that tracks supernatural attacks against humans. Wolves. Vampires. Anything that crosses the line."

Claire blinked.

"Oh."

That actually explained a lot.

"I hope they find them, then."

A strange look passed between the three men. Fast enough that she almost missed it.

Claire narrowed her eyes immediately.

Before she could ask, Vaelor suddenly lifted the hem of her shirt.

His palm settled gently against the dark bruise near her stomach.

"Does this hurt?"

The tension in his voice made her chest ache.

"Not much," she lied automatically.

All three men stared at the bruise like it personally offended them.

Claire wanted to disappear.

"I'm fine," she insisted quickly. "Really. The worst part's over."

"Liar."

Vaelor pulled her against him and kissed the tip of her nose.

"Alina probably has something at the clinic for that, right?"

"Yeah." She smiled a little. "I'll stop by after I eat."

"You definitely need to eat."

He glanced down at her stomach.

"I've been hearing it complain since you woke up."

Claire gasped dramatically.

"That is slander."

The men laughed quietly.

Trying to recover some dignity, Claire turned toward the guests.

"Can I get either of you something to drink?"

Alexander looked almost painfully pale beside Ronan now that she studied them properly. Quiet. Elegant. Predatory in a completely different way than the wolves.

Vampire. Definitely.

None of it scared her anymore.

Not after Vaelor.

Not after this world had cracked open around her.

Behind her, the conversation shifted again. Lower this time. More serious.

"Luckily she's alive," Alexander said.

"Barely."

Vaelor's voice dropped into something rougher.

"It took me four hours to heal."

Ronan whistled softly.

"Damn. You must've been torn apart."

"I was." Vaelor leaned back slightly. "Good thing I sensed them early enough to warn Claire."

A pause.

Then he snorted quietly.

"She doesn't follow orders worth a damn, but the adrenaline helped."

Claire rolled her eyes from across the room.

"I heard that."

Ronan grinned.

"So the Alpha finally found someone who argues back."

"All the time," Vaelor muttered.

Then his expression changed completely. Softer now. Proud in a way Claire had never heard before.

"But when I told her to leave…"

He looked toward her again.

"She carried my injured wolf fifty yards through the forest to our emergency shelter instead."

Silence followed that.

Then Ronan nodded once.

"A real mate."

Alexander agreed quietly.

"You got lucky."

Vaelor didn't even hesitate.

"I know."

His eyes locked onto Claire again.

"And so will you two."

Alexander gave a small, humorless laugh.

"Sure."

"Never giving up," Ronan said immediately afterward, though it sounded more like a promise to himself than anyone else.

Still, something shifted in the room after that.

Hope. Small. Fragile.

But alive.